Like a Feather In the Wind (On indefinite hiatus)
by The Forest Dog
Summary: Moons after the sudden and unexpected death of Jayfeather, Featherpaw is struggling with training. His hunting and fighting skills are hindered by his randomly-blurring eyes. Then he hears voices whispering to him, and his dreams are haunted by memories of a cat he doesn't know, before he's thrown on a path he didn't choose. One cat claims they can help him reach his potential...
1. Prologue

Jayfeather flattened his ears to his skull as he ran, his paws pounding on the forest floor. Lightning flashed overhead in jagged lines, lighting up the night sky in a pale glow. Not that he could see it, but he could hear the thunder roaring in his ears.

Alderheart's fur brushed against his. Both of the medicine-cats had herbs wrapped in leaves held firmly in their jaws. The other cats of ThunderClan swarmed around them.

The storm raged overheard. It had happened so suddenly. Bramblestar had ordered an evacuation of the camp, worrying that the camp might be flooded by the rain that poured down relentlessly from the dark gray sky. The medicine-cats had rolled their most valuable herbs into leaves, before following the cats as they exited the camp.

Jayfeather heard Alderheart's voice, though it was muffled by the herbs in his mouth. "Log ahead!"

Jayfeather acknowledged the warning with a flick of his tail, before bunching his muscles and leaping over a log in his path. He was thankful for the warning, though he would never admit it out loud.

Bramblestar yowled at the head of the group. "Get to the border! There are less trees by the WindClan border!"

Jayfeather narrowed his blind eyes in determination and ran faster, with rain still pounding on his tabby fur. Occasionally, he would slide on fresh mud, but he never stopped running.

Jayfeather could hear his brother Lionblaze breathing heavily besides him. "We're almost to the border," the golden-furred tom meowed. Jayfeather nodded to show he heard, and slowed his pace as he sniffed the faint smell of the WindClan scent-marker, partially washed away from the rain.

The whole of ThunderClan stopped to catch their breath. Jayfeather was a few fox-lengths away from the group, his shoulders sagging from tiredness.

More thunder cracked overhead, with lightning flashing by it. Jayfeather heard the sound of tearing wood and cracking bark following it.

Jayfeather swiveled his ears, trying to locate the source of the noise. He heard Alderheart's panicked yowl.

"Jayfeather, look out!"

Jayfeather was about to dart forwards, but before he could, he felt a heavy weight crash down upon his spine. He heard the sickening snap of his own bones as he was forced to the ground by the weight of what he thought to be a falling tree.

He felt agonizing pain spread from his ears to tail-tip as he opened his jaws to let out a short cry of pain, before the sounds of the storm and the scents of the forest faded away, as if they were a distant memory.

It seemed like moons before he opened his eyes again. When he did, he could see. He could see Alderheart's ginger fur as his eyes widened in shock and distress.

It took Jayfeather less than a second to figure out what was going on. He slipped out from under the fallen tree and, hesitant for a moment, turned around.

There, laying crumpled and broken, with his fur matted with his own blood and his jaws open in a silent cry of agony, was himself. He reached out a paw tentatively to place it against his own shoulder. His own starry paw went right through his lifeless body. He couldn't feel it, but he could imagine how cold it would be.

He took a pace back as Alderheart and Lionblaze raced towards his broken body. They wailed in distress and buried their noses into Jayfeather's gray fur. He could hear their voices, but only faintly.

"Jayfeather..." Alderheart murmured. "N-no... You... You can't be..."

The ginger tom couldn't finish his sentence. He shivered with sadness as he curled up besides Jayfeather's head, the only part of him that was not buried under wood.

Jayfeather wanted to tell Alderheart that it was okay. If StarClan declared it was his time to go, it was. But he couldn't reach out to the younger medicine-cat; he was in a whole different plane of existence.

Jayfeather lifted his muzzle to the sky and let out a mournful wail. Not for himself, and not form his own death. He wailed because he had so many things he wanted to say to Alderheart, but he never would again.

He wanted to tell Alderheart that he was proud of him. That he believed in him, and that he was one of the finest cats he had ever had the pleasure to meet.

But he couldn't, and Jayfeather cried out until he had no more breath to do so. Until he collapsed to the ground. He was a StarClan cat now; he couldn't feel this tiredness like he would've if he was still alive, but it was still there.

He heard a soft meow from behind him. It was a familiar voice, and one Jayfeather loved dearly.

"I'm sorry, Jayfeather... but it was your time."

Jayfeather sighed. "I know, Hollyleaf... But I just wanted to tell him... To tell Alderheart..."

He choked on his words as sadness welled in his throat. He felt Hollyleaf's tail drape over his shoulders, and heard her meow again in his ear.

"You _will _have a chance to tell him... You just need to remember..."

Jayfeather lifted his gaze to stare into her green eyes, puzzled. "What do you mean? My time is over..."

Hollyleaf shook her head slowly, her whiskers twitching. "Your time isn't over. You've lived two lives; one as Jay's Wing, and one as Jayfeather. Just remember that, and remember yourself, and you'll get to tell him."

Before Jayfeather could ask what she meant, he could feel his starry pelt fading away, and his fur grew pale as his spirit was ripped away, and everything went black. It wasn't painful, nor was it uncomfortable.

It was calming. But then he could feel his memories drift away, just out of reach. He couldn't tell what was going on, but he wanted to hold onto his memories. He couldn't, though, no matter how much he tried.

As almost everything he knew faded away from him, he could feel what seemed like wind whistling through his fur, before he knew hardly anything else, and nothingness settled onto him.

He had one final thought as his last memory slipped out of his reach.

_She told me to remember... Who told me to remember? Remember what? And... who am I?_

**Well, that's the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed!**

**So, my updates on this might not be very frequent. I'm working on so many other fanfictions, so expect slow updates usually.**

**The next few chapters are set in the time of The Broken Code. However, this chapter is set after A Vision of Shadows, and before The Broken Code.**

**I hope you stick around for another chapter!**


	2. Blurry

Featherkit raised his blue eyes, which sparkled in anticipation and excitement. His gaze was trained on Bramblestar, who sat with his tail draped over his paws on the Highledge. The leader's voice echoed off of the camp walls.

"Featherkit, you have reached six moons of age, and it is time you became an apprentice. From this moment on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Featherpaw. Cinderheart, I think it's time you have another apprentice. You will be mentor to Featherpaw. I know you will teach him all that you know."

Featherpaw stood up on his paws and padded towards the fluffy gray tabby she-cat. Cinderheart purred in delight, and Featherpaw craned his neck to touch noses with her.

Cheers erupted in the camp, and Featherpaw's chest swelled with pride. He was an apprentice at last!

Featherpaw was a gray tabby tom with milky-blue eyes. His paws and tail-tip were white as snow.

Featherpaw wasn't born in ThunderClan, nor was he born in any other Clan. He was found on the edge of ThunderClan's territory, abandoned. Featherpaw was glad that he'd get a chance to prove himself to the Clan, now that he was an apprentice.

As the meeting ended and the Clan dispersed, Featherpaw looked up at Cinderheart eagerly.

"What're we gonna do first?" he meowed, his eyes sparkling. Another purr rumbled in Cinderheart's throat.

"How about we tour the territory?" she suggested. Featherpaw nodded.

Cinderheart turned her head then, and Featherpaw followed her gaze. Cinderheart's mate, Lionblaze, was padding up to them.

The golden-furred tom nuzzled Cinderheart affectionately. "Congratulations on being a mentor again!"

Then he accidentally locked gazes with Featherpaw. The warrior's eyes flashed with sadness, and Featherpaw's fur pricked uncomfortably. He didn't know why, but many of his Clanmates looked at him wistfully, like they were remembering somebody. Lionblaze and Alderheart especially.

Lionblaze meowed a quick farewell to Cinderheart, before heading out on a hunting patrol.

Cinderheart flicked her tail and padded towards the tunnel leading out of camp. Featherpaw followed, his tail waving excitedly.

When Featherpaw emerged into the forest, he glanced around. Trees towered overhead, casting shadows on the forest floor, which, Featherpaw realized, was layered with frosty snow. The smell of the forest wreathed around him, and rays of sunlight broke through the leaves of some trees.

For some reason, Featherpaw recognized the trees. The scents from the forest were not unknown to him; he could name them, but he didn't know why. This was his first time out of camp, after all, not including the time he spent abandoned, but he didn't think he could remember that...

He shook his head to himself and followed Cinderheart as she led the young tabby tom through the forest. The soft crunching of snow underpaw was oddly satisfying to Featherpaw.

Cinderheart raised her tail, a signal for Featherpaw to stop. He did, with one paw still raised in the air as he tilted his head in confusion.

"Can you smell anything?" Cinderheart asked, turning her head to face him.

Featherpaw raised his muzzle to scent the air. "SkyClan scent-markers... I think Sparrowpelt, Plumwillow, Blossomheart, and... Sandynose set them."

He returned his gaze to Cinderheart, whose jaw was slackened in shock. Featherpaw's fur bristled self-consciously. "D-did I do something wrong?" he asked tentatively.

His mentor didn't respond for a moment. When she did, her tone was full of confusion. "How did you know that this is the SkyClan border? How do you know who those cats are?"

Featherpaw scanned his thoughts, and found that he didn't know how he knew that. He just... did. He shrugged. "The older apprentices told me their scents," he lied.

Cinderheart kept her eyes trained on him for a moment. "Okay... Well, come on, there's more territory to show you."

•••

Alderheart dipped his head halfheartedly as a greeting to Kestrelflight, Willowshine, Fidgetflake, and Puddleshine, with his new apprentice, Shadowpaw. Mothwing wasn't there tonight, and neither was Frecklewish.

"You're finally here!" Puddleshine purred. The ShadowClan medicine-cat didn't mean that Alderheart was finally at the half-moon meeting that night. It had been six moons since Alderheart had come to the meetings. Six moons also since he had gone to a Gathering.

Alderheart had a feeble excuse, in his own opinion. He was still grieving. He had been downcast ever since Leafpool died in a rockslide, and Jayfeather had died in a storm. Sadness ate at him from the inside, and he was behind on his duties because of it.

The other medicine-cats missed Leafpool and Jayfeather badly, too; they all shared a bond stronger than the boundaries between Clans, but Alderheart didn't think they knew how much he was hurting inside.

Alderheart had only come to _this _meeting because he thought that maybe... Maybe he could talk with Jayfeather and Leafpool when he shared tongues with StarClan.

Alderheart followed the other medicine-cats down the slope that led to the Moonpool. His paws slipped into the indents made by cats generations and moons ago.

He lifted his gaze to stare at the Moonpool. Stars reflected off if it surface, and moonlight struck the water, lighting the cave in a pale blue glow.

Usually, the sight would astound Alderheart, and usually a warm feeling would fill his being as he gazed at its magnificence, but he felt too empty inside to really care this time.

Alderheart, without waiting for the others to join him, crouched down by the edge of the Moonpool. He dipped his nose into the water and a chill crept through him from ears to tail-tip as he drifted into sleep.

•••

_Alderheart blinked his eyes open. He stood up, stretching his limbs, before scanning his surroundings._

_He was standing in the middle of a clearing in StarClan's hunting grounds. To his surprise, the other medicine-cats were around him. Rarely was there a time when medicine-cats shared dreams._

_He pricked his ears and swiveled his head at the sound of rustling in the bushes._

_A light brown tabby she-cat stalked out of the bushes with purpose in her pawsteps. Her fur glimmered with stars, and her amber eyes flashed._

_"Leafpool!" Alderheart meowed, a rush of happiness surging through him. Leafpool padded up to him and nuzzled him with her muzzle. "I miss you," he breathed._

_Leafpool broke away. "StarClan chooses when it is our time to go. It was mine."_

_Alderheart sighed. "I know..."_

_As the other medicine-cats greeted Leafpool with murmurs of sorrow, Alderheart locked gazed with her, a small glimmer of hope in his eyes._

_"Is... Is Jayfeather here...?" he asked tentatively._

_Leafpool shook her head. "He is not in StarClan."_

_Alderheart's breath caught in his throat._

_Shadowpaw tilted his head. "If he's not in StarClan, where could he be?"_

_The ShadowClan apprentice had never met Leafpool and Jayfeather in the real world, but he had heard many stories about them, and he respected them._

_"He's... he's not in the Dark Forest, is he?" Willowshine asked hesitantly. Leafpool didn't respond, but Alderheart did._

_"You'd really suggest that!?" he growled, his tail lashing. "He's _not _in the Dark Forest!"_

_Leafpool herself didn't say anything for a moment. She shook her head sadly. "He's closer than you think," she murmured._

_After that, Alderheart could feel himself being tugged back into the waking world. Alderheart yowled, begging her to tell him more, but he couldn't hold onto the dream, and he could feel himself regaining consciousness._

•••

Alderheart shot up on his paws. The other medicine-cats woke up shortly after.

"What did Leafpool mean? 'He's closer than you think'? What does that mean?" Puddleshine muttered. "And why isn't he in StarClan?"

Alderheart turned his head to stare at Fidgetflake. "Can you get Tree and meet me at the border tomorrow at sunhigh?" he asked.

Fidgetflake blinked in confusion. "Why?"

Alderheart lowered his gaze. "Because maybe if he's not in StarClan, he has unfinished business here..."

"And Tree can help us see ghosts..." Fidgetflake murmured. Then he shook out his black-and-white pelt. "Alright, tomorrow at sunhigh."

•••

Featherpaw pulled himself forwards by his forepaws, his blue gaze trained on the brown-furred mouse in front of him. He licked his lips in anticipation.

As he bunched up his muscles to spring, he felt a stab of pain in his head. He let out a yelp.

The mouse stiffened, before scampering away. Featherpaw didn't see, though; he had shut his eyes tightly, trying to block out the pain. When he opened them again, he was left in confusion.

His vision was blurred and cloudy. Everything was a haze of colors glazed in fog. He turned around, and everything looked the same. Just a blur.

He started to panic. _What's going on? _he thought, whirling around, his paws crunching the fresh snow as he stumbled in confusion and fear.

He heard Cinderheart hiss in agitation. "For StarClan's sake, Featherpaw, you're lumbering around like a fox in a fit! You'll scare away all the prey in the forest! What's gotten into you?"

Featherpaw tried to meet her gaze, but he couldn't find out where her gaze _was_. "I can't see!" he wailed.

"What do you mean?"

"Everything blurry! I can't see!" he cried, flexing his claws in the snow. He heard Cinderheart's tail swish in concern.

"When did that happen?"

"Just now! I was about to catch a mouse, and then I felt a pain in my head, and then _this _happened!"

Cinderheart padded towards him, and he could feel her tail layed over his shoulders. "Take in deep breaths. Try to calm down."

Featherpaw nodded, gulping. He tried to steady his breathing, his heart pounding in his chest. Eventually, once he was breathing in a steady rhythm again, his vision began to clear.

Featherpaw sighed in relief. Then he looked to Cinderheart with wide blue eyes. "What was that? Why'd my vision go away?"

Cinderheart visibly hesitated, before meowing, "I don't know."

**I know I said updates wouldn't be frequent... but, uh... let me change that.**

**Updates happen at random times. There will be no real pattern to updates. Sorry if that's annoying.**

**Also, even though this takes place in The Broken Code, the events in The Broken Code won't happen. There's no lost connection with StarClan, and no imposter, okay? This is just my story in this time, and I'm not really including the events in The Broken Code.**

**Now, to anyone wondering why I made Featherpaw's mentor Cinderheart, there is a reason. Some of you might know why...**

**I hope you'll join me next time!**


	3. Reflection

Tree crouched down, motionless, with his forepaws tucked neatly under his chest.

_Think bush_, he thought to himself. _Think bush..._

His ears pricked as he heard a soft rustling in the undergrowth and the sound of pawsteps. They were too heavy to be the footfalls of prey, so Tree stood up and turned around to see that he was a tail-length away from a black-and-white tom.

Tree dipped his head as a sign of respect. "Hello, Fidgetflake. Did you need anything?"

Fidgetflake's ear twitched. "Yes, actually, I need your help."

"Herb gathering? Or did you need me to mediate something?"

Fidgetflake shuffled his forepaws on the snow nervously, leaving shallow marks in it. "N-no, it's more important than that..."

Tree tilted his head to one side, his curiosity sparked. "Oh? What is it? Do you want me to show you how to be a bush?" he joked. Then he frowned, as Fidgetflake had averted his gaze. "Okay, seriously, what do you need?"

Fidgetflake looked up so that their gazes locked, and Tree saw sadness flicker in the medicine-cat's eyes. "Do you remember Jayfeather?"

Tree nodded. He hadn't known Jayfeather very well, but he knew that he had been a great medicine-cat to ThunderClan, and that part of ThunderClan still mourned his death.

Fidgetflake glanced around, as if making sure nobody was in earshot. Then he leaned forward to whisper to Tree, his breath stirring his ear-fur.

"I know I'm not supposed to talk about the half-moon meeting," he murmured, "but this is important. Last night at the Moonpool, a StarClan cat spoke to all of us. She said that Jayfeather isn't in StarClan, that he's closer than we think. Alderheart thinks that might mean that he has unfinished business here."

"So you want me to use my powers," Tree finished.

Fidgetflake nodded. "Yeah. Can you come with me to the border to ThunderClan? Alderheart said he'd be there at sunhigh to take us to where he... died."

Tree lowered his head, almost like a nod. "Of course I will. It's almost sunhigh now, isn't it? We should get going."

"Yes, yes, I suppose that's a good idea," Fidgetflake agreed. "Did you have anything to eat yet, though?"

Tree shook out his fur. "Yes, I had a mouse this morning," he meowed. Then he turned around with a glance back at Fidgetflake and his tail flicked. "Now, let's go and see Alderheart."

•••

Tree wrapped his tail around his paws and cast a sideways glance in Fidgetflake's direction. "You said Alderheart would be here," he mewed.

"He might've been held up," Fidgetflake shrugged. "He _is _a medicine-cat, after all."

"I guess that makes sense," Tree conceded, shaking his yellow pelt.

Tree straightened as he saw a flash of dark ginger fur. A moment later, Alderheart padded out from some bushes. His fur was fluffed up and he sighed as if he was anxious.

"Sorry I'm late. Plumstone has been coughing all morning. It doesn't look too bad, but sickness always gets worse in leaf-bare."

"Worried about whitecough?"

Alderheart nodded wearily. Then his amber eyes fell on Tree. "Thank you for coming. It... it means a lot to me."

"It's no problem," Tree meowed, kinking his tail. "Can you show me the spot?"

Alderheart nodded. He turned away with a flick of his tail. Tree followed him, his paws making holes in the pure white snow. Then he glanced back. Fidgetflake wasn't following.

"You coming?" Tree asked, cocking his head.

Fidgetflake shook his head. "No, I... I think I'll stay here. I don't want... I don't want to see his grave."

Alderheart dipped his head, understanding in his eyes. "Alright. May StarClan light your path."

"And yours, too," Fidgetflake nodded, before whipping around and padding away.

The other two cats started walking again. They padded through the forest in silence for a long while. A light breeze flowed through the trees overhead, rattling the branches in a steady pattern.

Then Alderheart stiffened, and he hissed to himself. "Fox-dung! I forgot to give Graystripe some comfrey... His joints have been aching since dawn."

He glanced apologetically at Tree. "Do you think you could stay here for a moment while I get him some comfrey?"

"Won't a patrol attack me?"

"I'm sure they won't," Alderheart meowed. "You're a mediator. And plus, we're near the lake. You could run to the shore, and they can't attack you. I'll meet you back there."

Tree nodded, and Alderheart ran off through the brush. Tree padded in the direction of the lake. The trees thinned soon enough, and he came close to the lake.

The lake had been frozen. Sunlight reflected off of its icy surface, and Tree couldn't stifle a gasp of awe. Even in leaf-bare, some things could be so beautiful.

He walked so that he was within three tail-lengths of the shore. By Clan law, patrols could not attack him here.

He lowered his guard as he looked up at the sky. It was as gray as a dove's wing, clouds drifting by steadily. Tree let out a sigh of contentment, a soft breeze ruffling his yellow fur.

Tree tensed as he heard a snarl behind him. He turned around with his tail sweeping in the snow.

A young gray tabby tom, at the age of an apprentice, crouched with his belly fur brushing the snow in a pouncing position. His pale blue eyes were hardened with aggression, and his unsheathed claws made lines in the powdery snow. His feathery tail was lashing in the air.

Even though the apprentice tried to look threatening, Tree could see he still had some kit-fluff, and uncertainty flashed in his eyes as he scowled at Tree.

"What are you doing on ThunderClan territory?" he hissed. Tree was surprised at how low the apprentice's voice sounded, and as he locked gazes with the apprentice's pale eyes, he felt a tingling in his belly and in his paws. It was almost like the feeling he got when he sensed a ghost-cat nearby, but he knew for certain that there was no ghost-cat nearby.

Tree shrugged dismissively. "I'm not on your territory. I'm within three tail-lengths of the lake, see?" he meowed, gesturing with his tail to the icy water.

The apprentice didn't move a muscle, a growl emitting from his throat. "I don't care! You're close enough!"

Tree rolled his eyes in annoyance. The apprentice was making this more difficult than it had to be. "If you attack me, you'd be breaking the warrior code."

The young tabby tom straightened up and took a pawstep forwards. "The code won't stop me from driving you out of my terri-"

His meow broke off into an agonized yowl. He had shut his eyes tightly, and he shudddered. Tree's eyes widened in shock and concern. When the apprentice opened his eyes, they were glazed over and blurred. Tree took a step backwards in surprise.

"Are you okay?"

The apprentice clenched his teeth. "I'm fine," he growled. "Just go-"

"Featherpaw! Stop growling at Tree!"

The two looked up. Alderheart was stalking towards him, his angry amber gaze on the gray apprentice.

Featherpaw opened his jaws to protest, his eyes still unclear, but Alderheart silenced him with a flick of his tail. "Go back to camp, Featherpaw."

The young tabby flattened his ears to his head. "Fine," he growled. Then he stumbled away, his legs shaking and his pawsteps uncertain. As the apprentice left, the tingling in Tree's stomach subsided.

Alderheart didn't seem to notice Featherpaw's behavior, so Tree decided not to bring it up. Alderheart sighed.

"I'm sorry about that. Featherpaw's only been an apprentice for two days; I don't think he understands the warrior code."

Tree shrugged. "It's okay. I doubt he could've caused me much harm anyways. Maybe a scratch, but that's all."

Alderheart flicked his tail in amusement. "Sounds about right. Anyways, let's go."

•••

Alderheart halted as he arrived at a fallen tree. His eyes misted and clouded with sadness. "Here it is," he croaked. "This is... this is where he died..."

Tree stepped forwards and crouched down, focusing all his power into his paws. He pressed down in the snow, putting all his weight into his paws.

He strained, but he felt no tingling, no feeling that a ghost was around. He sat up on his hindquarters, panting, before trying again. He shut his eyes with concentration, and he let out grunts of determination.

There was no tingling, and no ghost-cat. He let out a disappointed sigh and turned to face Alderheart.

"No luck," he meowed. Alderheart lowered his eyes.

"But... if he's not in StarClan and he's not a ghost... where could he _be_?"

•••

Cinderheart watched Featherpaw from across the camp. He was dragging his paws on the snow as he headed for his den, tired. Cinderheart had told him to spend the rest of the day searching the elders for ticks and then sent him to hunt because of his aggression towards Tree. To her surprise, he hadn't caught any fresh-kill. She was disappointed, but she let him go to sleep.

Cinderheart sighed to herself as he watched him slip into the apprentices' den. She was worried, honestly; she still didn't know what was wrong with his eyes, and she didn't want to tell Alderheart, just in case she was just being worried about nothing.

The still night sky was almost pitch-black above her. She could see the warriors of StarClan in Silverpelt, and a small wind pushed her ears back against her head.

She looked to the side as she heard pawsteps. Lionblaze was padding up to her. She couldn't stifle a purr of joy, and Lionblaze did the same.

"It looks so peaceful, doesn't it?" Cinderheart asked, returning her gaze to the sky. Lionblaze nodded as he sat down besides her. Cinderheart let her head drop onto his shoulder.

"How are you not uncomfortable around Featherpaw?" Lionblaze inquired in a soft voice. Cinderheart blinked.

"Why should I be?"

"Doesn't he remind you of... of..." Lionblaze trailed off, and his breath caught in his throat. Cinderheart lifted her head and lapped at his golden fur, trying to soothe him.

"Lionblaze, it's okay, it's okay..." she whispered in between her lapping.

"But I've already lost Hollyleaf, Leafpool, and so many of my friends... I just can't believe that Jayfeather is gone, too..."

Cinderheart paused from licking at his fur. "He's happy in StarClan," she murmured.

Lionblaze sighed. "I guess you're right... I wonder which star is him..."

The two kept their gazes trained on the sky. They scanned the stars. Cinderheart tried to imagine Jayfeather, happy in StarClan and finally carefree.

_He helped the Clan so much, and he helped _me _so much. At least he's finally happy in StarClan..._

•••

Featherpaw collapsed into his nest with a sigh. He buried his nose in the moss.

Bristlepaw stirred, and for a moment, Featherpaw thought he might've woken her up, but she didn't, and Featherpaw sighed again in relief.

When Featherpaw finally settled down in his nest, he found himself thinking.

_I can't believe I couldn't catch a _single _piece of prey today... Cinderheart must be so disappointed in me..._

Featherpaw wrapped his tail under his chin. _It's all because of my dumb eyesight... What's going on with me? And why did I have to embarrass myself in front of Tree and Alderheart when they told me to go to camp? I must've looked like a mouse-brain!_

Featherpaw shut his eyes, his whiskers twitching. Being an apprentice seemed so hard. Bristlepaw, Thriftpaw, and Flippaw had made it seem so easy, but to him, everything was so difficult.

_I'll do better tomorrow_, he promised himself. _I'll make Cinderheart proud of me... I'll be the best apprentice ThunderClan has ever seen!_

•••

_Featherpaw slowly opened his eyes and instantly started to panic. He wasn't in his den anymore. Instead, he was standing in the forest. He recognized it as part of his territory. _

_He calmed down once he noticed that this was a dream; he could sense that the breeze that ruffled his fur was fake._

_He looked around. Nearby was a tree with roots spreading out in all directions. A shallow dip was near the base. Featherpaw padded towards it, before barely stifling a yowl of surprise._

_Laying in the hole was a gray tabby tom. He looked one-or-two moons older than Featherpaw, and eyes, milky and pupil-less, were staring at something by his flank. Featherpaw realized that this cat must be blind._

_This dream-cat couldn't sense him, and so Featherpaw leaned farther into the dip to try and make out what he was "staring" at._

_It was a stick. Claws had peeled the bark, leaving shallow grooves on its edges and its sides. Something about the stick seemed familiar to Featherpaw, but he couldn't remember what it was about the stick that he recognized._

_Featherpaw returned his gaze to the tom. The dream-cat pulled the stick closer to him with his forepaws, until the stick rose and fell with the rise-and-fall of his sides as he breathed._

_The tom looked so peaceful, lying next to the stick. Featherpaw wanted to curl up besides the stick, too, but he had not the slightest idea as to why._

_And suddenly, the dream-cat was staring at Featherpaw with his blind blue eyes. His unseeing gaze was locked with Featherpaw's, and the gray tom's jaw opened to speak. As he did, a chorus of voices spoke with him. The words echoed through Featherpaw's dream, and they kept ringing in his ears._

_"Remember..." they whispered, and their voices increased in volume each time they repeated. The last repeat was like a screech, a yowl, a howl, a hiss, a scream, and a wail, all at the same time._

_"YOU _MUST _REMEMBER!"_

_And then the dream faded away, and only then did Featherpaw realize:_

That tom looks an awful lot like me_, he thought._

•••

Squirrelflight scanned the gathered cats. "Stormcloud, take Flywhisker, Cinderheart, Hollytuft, Featherpaw, and Flippaw to patrol the WindClan border."

Stormcloud nodded, and called to the cats with a flick of his tail. Featherpaw padded over, occasionally tripping on his own paws.

He had barely gotten a wink of sleep last night. He yawned as followed the rest of the dawn patrol out of camp and into the forest.

The patrol padded through the forest, their whiskers twitching and their muzzles raised to scent the air. Featherpaw did this, too, until Flippaw shouldered him.

"Hey Featherpaw, you look half-asleep!" he teased. "Be careful, a mouse might ambush you."

Featherpaw rolled his eyes. "Flippaw, you're more annoying than a SkyClan cat." He spoke the last part thinking about Tree.

Flippaw shrugged. "I guess it's in my nature," he meowed, before picking up his pace to catch up with the rest of the patrol, as they had dropped behind. Featherpaw, however, didn't catch up. He padded towards a small silver puddle where a spot of snow had melted.

His reflection looked exactly like his dream-cat, only, without the blind blue eyes and without the white on his paws and tail-tip. But he had the same red nose, the same gray coat, the same size, the same tabby stripes, and the same whiskers.

Featherpaw shivered, not from the chill of leaf-bare, but because he was suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.

"Featherpaw! Come on!" Flippaw called. Featherpaw tore his gaze away from the puddle. Then he got to his paws, and, with one final glance behind him, sprinted back towards the patrol.

**Another chapter completed! Again, sorry for the weird updates. These updates are pretty frequent now, but I _might _start updating less frequently soon...**

**Or not. I don't know.**

**To Grayshadow Warrior: I agree with you. The books are kind of going downhill. I'm still reading them, though, so I guess they aren't _completely _horrible. And also, you said you were awaiting the next update... Well... here it is? Although you just read it, sooooo...**

**Anyways, stick around for the ne t chapter!**

**Get it? "Stick"?**

**[Insert totally hilarious joke. Yep, it was totally funny. Note the sarcasm.]**


	4. Promise

Featherpaw followed the dawn patrol, though he was lost in thought.

_My reflection looked so much like that other cat... and that dream felt... different... from a normal dream... Oh, StarClan, what is going on?_

Featherpaw sighed to himself and picked up his pace so that he was padding along besides Flippaw. The patrol arrived at the WindClan border soon enough and began to set the scent-markers.

Featherpaw kept watch. He didn't expect to notice anything coming to attack them, but he felt it might be needed.

Evidently, he was right to do so.

His ears pricked as he lifted his nose to the air. The wind was blowing in his direction. Though the scent of the WindClan border markers almost drowned it out, he could make out the scent of...

"Dog!" he yowled, his pelt bushing up. The patrol snapped their heads up just in time to see a large black-and-brown dog. Muscles rippled from underneath its sleek pelt, and slaver dripped from its gaping jaw.

Its eyes flashed menacingly, and, without breaking stride, it charged towards Featherpaw.

Featherpaw arched his back, hissing, but inside, he was panicking. He hadn't learned any battle moves yet!

He reared up on his hind-legs, but at the worst possible time, another pain shot through his skull. He yelped as he fell back onto the snow, his vision cloudy.

Featherpaw stumbled backwards, before he heard the snap of jaws and something grasped him by his neck.

The dog's fangs dug into his throat, piercing his skin as it shook Featherpaw like prey. He could hear the battle-cries of the patrol as they launched themselves at the dog.

Featherpaw grew dizzy. His vision grew dark at the edges, and they blurred even more. Featherpaw tried to yowl, but the dog was holding him so tightly that they closed his throat. He couldn't breathe.

Featherpaw unsheathed his claws and tried in vain to rake his paws along its muzzle. The dog shook him again, and he let out a strangled yowl. He could feel blood dripping down his neck fur, and his throat was burning. Suddenly, the dog jerked its head and flung Featherpaw to the ground. He landed with his fur skidding in the snow as he gasped for breath. He could vaguely see the other patrol members attacking the dog, but his vision was consumed by darkness.

•••

Cinderheart ran her claws along the dog's side as she sprinted past it. It rounded on her, its dark brown eyes flashing. As she hissed, her eyes flickered to Featherpaw, who lay bleeding in the snow with his eyes closed. _Oh, Featherpaw, please be alright..._

She was pulled out of her thoughts when the dog lumbered towards her. She arched her back, digging her claws into the snow. She prepared to rear up on her hind-legs, but she stopped herself. Stormcloud was bolting towards the beast. He bunched his muscles and leapt onto its back. The dog gave a yelp of surprise as Stormcloud dug his claws into the dog's back fur, before he fastened his teeth into the dog's ear. The dog tried to spin around to bite him, but couldn't. Seeing the dog's struggle, Flywhisker launched herself at its tail, clamping her fangs onto it. Hollytuft clawed its side.

Cinderheart was about to join the fight, but stopped herself. Flippaw was staring at the dog with rounded eyes of horror. "Flippaw!" she yowled. The apprentice turned to stare at her. "Go get Alderheart!" She flicked her tail to Featherpaw. Flippaw nodded, breaking out of his shock, before racing away into the forest, his paws leaving imprints in the sparkling snow. Cinderheart turned to help with the dog, but it was already scrambling away. As it bounded off, she hissed after it.

"Mangy flea-pelt!" she yowled. Then, not wasting another heartbeat, she raced to Featherpaw.

The gray apprentice's neck was tinged crimson with blood. It stained the snow under him, and Cinderheart shuddered at the sight of the holes in his neck from the dog's fangs. "I sent Flippaw to get Alderheart," she told the others as they gathered around the young apprentice, their eyes sparkling with worry.

Flywhisker's whiskers twitched. "Should we clean the blood off of him? I'm no medicine-cat, but..."

Cinderheart nodded. "Alright, we'll do that."

She crouched down and lapped at the blood, trying to clean his wound. Her ears pricked as she heard the sound of paw-steps, and she turned her heard in time to see Alderheart's dark ginger fur. The medicine-cat had cobwebs gripped in his jaws. He flung himself at Featherpaw's side, pressing the cobwebs onto the wound from which blood continued to flow. The warriors, and Flippaw, took a few steps back, not wanting to interfere.

_This is all my fault..._ Cinderheart thought. _StarClan, you can't take him now..._

•••

_Trees towered over him menacingly. Their branches were gnarled and twisted, and their wide roots spread across the withering forest-floor. Featherpaw padded warily over the hard ground. He couldn't detect any scent of prey, and he could hear no birdsong. As he looked up, he could see that the sky was somehow darker pitch-black, if that was possible. No warriors of StarClan twinkled above him, and he felt a chill run up his spine. StarClan didn't watch over this place. He wasn't safe here._

_He heard a throaty voice from behind him, and he whirled around, his gray tabby fur bushing up and his eyes lighting up in panic._

_A tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with piercing eyes was stalking towards him. Her matted fur was bushed up, and her tail lashed. "What're you doing here, little kit?"_

_Featherpaw straightened, his ears flattening to his head. "I am not a kit! I'm an apprentice!"_

_The stranger scoffed. "I can see the kit-fluff on your fur. But fine, if you must complain, 'apprentice' it is."_

_Featherpaw scanned the stranger, slightly curious and slightly fearful. "Who are you?"_

_The stranger sat down on her hindquarters, and Featherpaw noticed how skinny she looked. "Who am I doesn't concern you. Only what I can do for you."_

_Featherpaw tilted his head. "What... what do you mean?" he asked tentatively._

_The she-cat lowered her head, her tail flicking. "Your Clan thinks you're weak. They'd get rid of you if they could."_

_"T-that's not true!" Featherpaw growled, though he felt worry worming inside of him. Was she right? "T-they wouldn't!"_

_The she-cat licked her lips. "Oh, they would. They think you're useless."_

_Featherpaw opened his jaw to argue, but the she-cat padded forwards and slammed his head to the ground with one paw. "Don't argue!" she hissed. Then her tone softened as she continued. "They would throw you out, young one. But I can show you how you can prove yourself. I can help you reach your potential."_

_Featherpaw lifted his blue gaze to her, since his head was still pinned down. Something inside of him told him not to trust her... But if she was right..._

_"Y-you'd really do that for me?"_

_The tortoiseshell let out a rusty purr. "Of course! I just want you to make a promise."_

_The she-cat stepped back, allowing Featherpaw to lift his head. He tilted his head to one side. "What kind of promise?"_

_She drew her tongue over her forepaw. "You must promise to do as I tell you. Everything I say, you do. Understand?" When Featherpaw looked reluctant, she added, "After all, I only want what's _best _for you..."_

_Featherpaw averted his gaze, before letting out a puff of breath. He locked gazes with the stranger. Even though his heart was screaming at him not to..._

_"I promise."_

_The stranger purred, running her tail along his shoulder fur. "Wise decision. I will show you how to fight, how to protect yourself. I will show you the way of a _true _warrior."_

_The she-cat paused for a moment. "And, as for my name, you may call me Mapleshade."_

•••

Featherpaw awoke with a jolt, his eyes widening as he was pulled into consciousness. He instantly realized that he was in the medicine-cat den. Pain was constant in his neck, but he tried his best to ignore it._ Was that dream real? Or was I just imagining it..._

He shook his head. No, he couldn't have imagine it. It just felt all too real to just be fake.

Featherpaw let his head drop onto his paws. He let out a weary and tired sigh. His eyes drifted to Alderheart. The medicine-cat was sleeping...

_Wait, sleeping!?_

Featherpaw had gone out on the dawn patrol... Had he really been out for that long? Featherpaw looked at the den entrance and could faintly see stars through the lichen drape. Somehow, just knowing StarClan was there calmed him. But he was pulled out of his calm when he remembered the place where the stars didn't shine...

_I made a promise to Mapleshade... She seems nice and trustworthy, but something's telling me that she isn't... It's probably nothing. She'll help me..._

_...right?_

He sighed again and closed his blue eyes as he curled up into a ball, ignoring the burning in his neck. _I'll keep my promise. I'll be the best warrior ThunderClan has ever seen! The other Clans should watch their backs..._

And then he heard some cat whisper to him... It was in his head, he was sure, but he knew it was Mapleshade.

_"Just remember your promise... And then you'll be great again..."_

_Again? _he thought, but he was too tired to worry over it, or contemplate what she meant. He felt sleep tug at him again, and the sounds of soft night birdsong and the whistling of the branches through the trees faded from his ears as everything went dark.

**I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN A WHILE.**

**Sorry. I got distracted with another one of my fanfictions... I honestly kind of forgot about this one... Hehe...**

**Alright, so yes, Mapleshade is in this. I don't think she actually died in the battle with the Dark Forest, so, uh... Yeah.**

**See you next time! I'm sorry to say I'm not doing a stick pun at the end of this chapter. I know, you're crying inside.**


	5. Herbs

Alderheart shuffled the herbs on the ground, sorting them into seperate piles. Occasionally, he would cast a glance over his shoulder at Featherpaw. The gray apprentice was still sleeping, though Alderheart noted how his tail-tip twitched, as if he were having a nightmare.

Alderheart shrugged. _It's fine. He needs rest after yesterday..._

He returned his attention to his herbs. Thankfully, he wasn't short on any, and he'd be able to last through the rest of leaf-bare. Even with the herbs he had used on the patrol, he still had enough.

Honestly, though, he was worried about Featherpaw. Cobwebs were coiled around his neck, but Alderheart could see dried blood on its strands, and he knew as soon as Featherpaw was awake he'd have to change it.

Alderheart shuddered. He couldn't imaging being a warrior. He was a healer, not a fighter. To suffer through what Featherpaw had...

Alderheart sighed, before turning around to pad over to the apprentice. He raised a paw, about to rouse him, but stopped himself as he let out a half-stifled gasp.

Claw marks ran along Featherpaw's back, bleeding fresh blood. They weren't deep, but they were still worrying. Without a second thought, Alderheart began lapping at the wounds, cursing himself for not noticing them before.

After they were cleaned, he applied a poultice and a pawful of cobwebs. Only then did he stop to think.

_Those were the claw marks of a cat... And those _weren't _there yesterday, right? Surely I would've noticed, and they're too... Fresh._

Featherpaw was still sleeping, but Alderheart watched as the young tabby fidgeted and shuddered. Then, after a final convulsion, his eyes shot open.

Alderheart recoiled slightly as Featherpaw gasped for breath, and he watched as the apprentice winced, probably from the pain in his neck, and his fresh wounds.

For a moment, Featherpaw's gaze was fixed on something only _he _could see. Alderheart waved a paw in front of his eyes, but they remained in the same position, slightly blurred over. Alderheart felt a stab of concern, before Featherpaw blinked once, and his vision cleared.

"A-are you okay?" Alderheart asked tentatively. "You were... You were fidgeting a lot in your sleep."

Featherpaw shifted his position so that instead of laying on his side, his forepaws were tucked beneath his chest. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," he murmured, though his voice was far-off, as if something else was on his mind.

"Are you sure?" Alderheart meowed. "And... why... why're there claw marks on your fur? Those look like they're from a cat..."

Featherpaw's ears pricked, and he swiveled his head to peer at his fur. His eyes widened for a moment, before he turned back to Alderheart. "How would you know? You've never fought before," he muttered. "I think you're seeing things."

Alderheart narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but he didn't say anything about it. "Alright then," he mumbled.

•••

Featherpaw hoped Alderheart didn't know that he was training with Mapleshade. It had been a few days since he had made the promise, even though he was still confined to the medicine-cat den. Several times, he had awoken to Alderheart applying cobwebs to wounds made from Featherpaw and Mapleshade's training sessions.

Featherpaw lifted his head as a cat emerged from the lichen drape to the medicine-cat den. It was Bumblestripe. The pale tabby tom looked around the den, his whiskers twitching. Featherpaw tilted his head in curiosity.

"What're you looking for?" the apprentice asked. Bumblestripe turned to him.

"Graystripe's joints are aching. I was wondering if Alderheart had anything for that."

"Alderheart isn't here right now," Featherpaw meowed. "I think he went out to look for herbs since the snow is starting to melt."

"Oh," Bumblestripe sighed. "I guess I'll come back later then." The warrior turned to leave, but Featherpaw's ears pricked.

"Wait," he called to Bumblestripe. The warrior twirled around, confusion glittering in his gaze. "I think I know what can help with that."

Bumblestripe tilted his head to one side. "But you aren't a medicine-cat. You're a _warrior_ apprentice!"

Featherpaw blinked. Bumblestripe was telling the truth, but he thought he knew the right herb. Featherpaw shook his head. "Alderheart showed me a few herbs," he lied. "Hold on."

Bumblestripe sat down on his haunches and watched with curiosity as Featherpaw lifted himself to his paws. Ignoring the pain that stabbed through his neck, he padded towards the back of the den.

His nose was assaulted with the scents of many different herbs and plants, their aromas flooding his nostrils. Somehow, the feeling felt familiar to him. He swiveled his head, but only slightly so as not to injure his neck, as he scoured the storage for one herb in particular.

Featherpaw's ears pricked, and he leaned down to sniff at a black root on the ground. It had a sort of tangy scent. Featherpaw clamped his jaws around the root, before lifting his head and padding back towards Bumblestripe.

He set the root down at the warrior's paws. "It's comfrey root," he meowed, before explaining how to use it. Bumblestripe nodded his thanks before exiting the den with his tail streaming behind him. Featherpaw whipped around to curl back up in his mossy nest, a strange feeling of warmth spreading through him from ears to tail-tip. It took him a moment to realize he was pleased with himself for helping Bumblestripe.

_Why? _he asked himself. _I'm no medicine-cat..._

Featherpaw lowered his head onto his paws, releasing a puff of breath. He flattened his ears to his head. _I don't want to be a medicine-cat, either. I want to be a warrior, and defend my Clan! It seems like Mapleshade is the only one who wants to help me do that..._

As that thought crossed his mind, he immediately felt guilty. Even though he had hardly spent any time with her, Featherpaw couldn't deny that Cinderheart, his mentor, really cared about his training and welfare. He reminded himself that she had actually checked up on him at least once every day.

_Once I'm out of this StarClan-forsaken medicine-cat den, I'll make my mentor and the whole of ThunderClan proud of me! _he vowed silently.

He was dragged out of his thoughts as two cats entered the den. Squirrelflight and Alderheart. Alderheart had a few herbs held in his jaws, and he looked pleased that he had found some during leaf-bare. Featherpaw didn't know why Squirrelflight was here, though.

Alderheart padded to the back of the den and set the herbs down. Squirrelflight remained near the entrance, her tail curled around her paws and her ears twitching.

"Thanks for helping me gather herbs," Alderheart meowed to her. Squirrelflight dipped her head.

"It was no problem. But did you see Bumblestripe? He had some comfrey in his mouth. Did he steal it from your den?"

Alderheart tipped his head to one side. "Well, I didn't give him any," he drawled. Featherpaw stretched out his forepaws, before sitting up on his haunches.

"I gave him the comfrey," he admitted. "He said Graystripe's joints were aching."

Alderheart's eyes flashed with rage. "Why did you touch me herb-store?" he growled. "If you gave him the wrong one, you could've poisoned Graystripe! You could've killed your clanmate, and..." He trailed for a moment. "Wait, how'd you know that Graystripe needed _comfrey_?"

Featherpaw shrugged. "I don't know."

Alderheart's eyes lit up with momentary interest. Without another word, he padded to the back of the den and pawed through some herbs. Squirrelflight watched, intrigued, while Featherpaw's tail twitched in confusion. Alderheart returned with an assortment of herbs in his jaws. He set them down before Featherpaw's paws, before prodding an herb with fern-like leaves towards the apprentice.

"What's this herb?" Alderheart asked. Featherpaw blinked, confused. He visibly hesitated. He wasn't a medicine-cat, how was he supposed to know? Still, he bent down to scent the plant. It smelled sweet. Somehow, the scent alone sparked recognition in Featherpaw's head.

"It's chervil," he meowed, lifting his head. "It's used to cure infections, but the roots can ease bellyache."

Alderheart's eyes lit up for a moment, before he pushed another herb forwards. This one had round yellow leaves. Featherpaw leaned over the inhale its scent, and he was met with a very strong smell. He recoiled slightly, before taking another whiff.

"It's tansy," he murmured. "It cures cough, but it can only be taken in small doses."

Alderheart wordlessly slid the earlier two herbs away, before showing the final one towards him. Featherpaw crouched down to sniff it.

He drew a blank at this one. The herb had no scent to it, and no matter how much Featherpaw searched his mind, he couldn't figure out what it was. For some reason, he felt he needed the scent to know what it was.

He shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted. Alderheart grasped all three herbs in his jaws and hurried them to the back of the den, before padding up to Squirrelflight.

With a glance at Featherpaw, he whispered, "Can I speak with you?"

The ThunderClan deputy nodded, before both cats left the den, leaving Featherpaw very confused and very bemused.

•••

Squirrelflight followed Alderheart out of the den, slightly irritated. "Alderheart," she hissed once they were out of the den. "What was that about?"

Alderheart sighed, sitting down on his haunches. Squirrelflight did the same, her ears flattened to her head as she searched his amber gaze.

"Squirrelflight, he knew two of those herbs. He told me their names and what they did," he meowed.

"Yes, well, he's spent a few days in your den, hasn't he?" she questioned. "I don't see why all that was necessary."

Alderheart rolled his eyes, a puff of breath escaping his lips. "That's the thing, though. I didn't teach him _any _of those. He just... knew them."

"He didn't know the last herb," she retorted.

"But he still knew the other two!"

"What is this even about, anyways?" Squirrelflight sighed. "I don't really see how that's important."

"Squirrelflight, h-he's practically a natural..." he trailed off, averting his gaze with his tail-tip twitching. Squirrelflight's ears pricked.

"You need an apprentice, don't you?" she meowed. "_That's_ what this is about."

"Well, yes," he admitted.

Squirrelflight narrowed her eyes in thought. She had to admit, Featherpaw did seem to know those herbs pretty well. And ThunderClan _did _only have _one _medicine-cat...

She released a sigh, before fluffing out her fur. "Alright, I'll talk to Bramblestar. If it's okay with him, then I guess Featherpaw can be your apprentice."

**I'M SO SORRY, YOU GUYS!**

**My updates have gone off the rails, I'm sorry for these infrequent updates. I promise I'm not giving up on this story!**

**So, Alderheart's got it in his mind that Featherpaw should be his apprentice. Let's see how Featherpaw reacts to this in the next chapter, shall we?**

**Just a warning: He will react **_way, way _**worse than you think he will. And you probably thought he'd react badly, so just keep in mind that he'll react **_**worse than that**._

**_Anyways_, cya next time! I don't have a stick _pun_ for you, but I have a stupid stick _joke_:**

**What do you call a boomerang that doesn't return?**

**A stick!**

**Hahahahahahahaha, so hilarious.**

**(Not really.)**


	6. Growl

**Author's note: Usually I make these notes at the end of the chapter, but just so that nobody's confused, I want to say that this first part is a non-canon memory, not present-time. And remember how I said that Featherpaw would react badly to the news? The worst of it is near the end of the chapter.**

_Jayfeather lifted his muzzle to the night sky. A cool breeze ran down his back-fur and smoothed his tabby pelt. He could feel a purr rumbling inside of his throat, his tail wrapped around his forepaws and his blind eyes looking scanning the sky as if he could see, and even if he couldn't he could still imagine the stars of Silverpelt and his ancestors hanging in the sky._

_Jayfeather's ears pricked as he heard a voice behind him. "Jayfeather? What are you doing out here so late?"_

_The gray tom swiveled his head, his eyes locked onto that cat before him. Even though he couldn't see him, Jayfeather could pinpoint his exact location. "I could ask you the same question, Alderheart," he meowed, his tone surprisingly playful and his head tilted slightly to the side._

_Jayfeather could almost feel the surprise radiating off of the young medicine-cat at his tone of voice. He could hear Alderheart's question in his ears before the tom had even asked it. "You seem happy tonight. Is there any reason?"_

_Jayfeather shrugged, returning his blind gaze to the stars that he couldn't see, but that he could still feel the presence of in their soft glow that somehow reached to his pelt. Still without answering the other cat's question, Jayfeather flicked his tail, motioning for Alderheart to sit next to him. He could hear gentle pawsteps as the other tom padded towards him, before sitting down besides the gray tabby._

_Jayfeather was acutely aware of Alderheart's gaze boring into him. His ear-tip twitched, and the corner of Jayfeather's mouth curved upwards in a smirk. "You're staring at me like you've never seen a cat before," he commented. Jayfeather could feel the heat coming off of Alderheart's fur from the younger tom's embarrassment._

_"S-sorry," Alderheart stammered. "I just... You seem a lot more relaxed than usual. Normally I see you with your fur ruffled and a scowl on your face."_

_Jayfeather shrugged again, his blind eyes looking down to "stare" absently at his paws. "Sometimes even a grumpy badger like me can get bored of being, well, grumpy."_

_Alderheart chuckled softly, pawing subconsciously at the ground in front of him. "I never thought I'd see the day- er, night- when Jayfeather wasn't as prickly as usual," he joked, his tail curling up in amusement. Jayfeather rolled his blind eyes, a scoff escaping from his lips._

_"Don't get used to it," he muttered, though good-humoredly. The tabby wrapped his tail along the side of his flank. Alderheart released a puff of breath. A comfortable silence descended upon the two ThunderClan toms, only broken by the gentle rustling of the grass and the whistling of a soft breeze._

_"You know," Alderheart started, and Jayfeather turned his head to listen, "at first, I wasn't happy when I was told I was going to be a medicine-cat apprentice. But now; looking back, I can't really imagine my life any other way."_

_Jayfeather nodded, words beginning to form on his tongue. "I actually never wanted to be a medicine-cat, either. I know this may sound crazy, but I was actually training to be a warrior to begin with. Of course, that never would've worked with my blind eyes, but it took me a while to realize that. And now, just like you, I can't imagine anything different."_

_Alderheart hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "I guess we both found our true calling," he mused. Jayfeather nodded wordlessly, his tail uncurling from his flank to lay out straight behind him._

StarClan, _Jayfeather thought, closing his eyes for a moment. _Thank you for giving me a life like this. Right now, I feel like the luckiest cat in the world.

•••

Featherpaw felt like the most unlucky cat in the world. His fur bristled along his spine, his lips drawn back in a snarl. "No way!" he hissed. "I'm not a medicine-cat!"

Squirrelflight shook out her pelt, while Alderheart released a sigh. "Featherpaw, you have a gift. You can't waste it."

Earlier that day, the deputy and the medicine-cat had requested for Bramblestar to make Featherpaw a medicine-cat apprentice. To Featherpaw's shock, alarm, and dismay, the leader had agreed. Featherpaw's eyes had blurred over sometime when Alderheart and Squirrelflight had been telling the news to him, but Featherpaw didn't remember exactly when. And at the time, he completely ignored it.

The blood was boiling in his veins from fury. "I don't care if I have a 'gift'!" the apprentice spat, his tail lashing in the air. "My life is _my _choice, and I don't want to be locked in this den for my whole life!"

Alderheart's shoulder-fur bristled slightly, but he forced it to lie flat. His eyes glittered with irritation as his amber gaze scanned the apprentice in front of him. "Featherpaw, you can help your Clan more in here then you can on the battlefield."

"How would you know? I haven't even gotten a chance to fight yet!" Featherpaw snapped, baring his teeth in a snarl with his paws splayed out. Squirrelflight flicked her tail, her gaze flickering from the apprentice to the medicine-cat.

"Featherpaw," she spoke softly, "Alderheart's right. It's not every day you find a cat who has what it takes to become a medicine-cat. A warrior is common, and though they are the heart of the Clan, we still need someone to heal the heart when it stops beating."

Featherpaw shuddered from his own rage, his eyes shut tightly and his claws digging into the dirt. A growl rumbled in his throat. "I don't want to be the one having to heal the wounds left by others," he snarled. "I want to be the one who's defending my Clan, so that those wounds would never even happen in the _first_ place!"

Alderheart pawed at the ground, his jaw closed as words swarmed in his head that he didn't dare speak, fearing that he might make this situation worse.

Squirrelflight sighed, her tail drooping slightly. "Featherpaw, I know that this is your own life, but we've lost two medicine-cats so recently, and their losses took a toll on our Clan. We only have one medicine-cat left, and even though Clans have survived with one, we need to be prepared for anything, for the worst. Featherpaw, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid this isn't your choice to make. For the good of the Clan, you _must _become a medicine-cat apprentice."

•••

Featherpaw had hated every single sentence of the ceremony. Becoming a medicine-cat apprentice when he didn't want to, and then to have the whole Clan _cheer_? That seemed like torture. And he couldn't help feeling guilty because even if it hadn't been his choice to leave, he had still left Cinderheart, his mentor who he knew honestly cared about him. And now, Alderheart was his mentor, and Featherpaw wasn't exactly on good terms with him.

Featherpaw kneaded the ground with his forepaws, his gaze flickering to the den exit. A pale moon hung in the, illuminating the sky in a soft glow with the stars seemingly dancing around it. Featherpaw suddenly felt a need to be outside. He made sure Alderheart was asleep, before slipping out of the den, ignoring the ache in his neck.

He felt the cool night breeze on his tabby pelt. He fluffed out his fur, the chill reaching to his skin. Even though it was cold, he found it surprisingly soothing. His gaze trailed over the empty camp, his ears pricked for any sound in the still night. Nothing stirred, save for the soft rustling of the tree branches in the gentle wind.

Featherpaw looked at the camp's walls, his fur bristling slightly as they towered over him, suddenly feeling threatening. He felt trapped here, and he guessed it was because he kind of _was _trapped here. Trapped in this camp, doomed to be a medicine-cat even if his heart screamed for him not to.

He felt like a feather in the wind. He couldn't choose his own path anymore. Something else decided for him, and he was powerless to change his course.

Featherpaw turned away to stare at the ground, before his paws started to move subconsciously. He found himself padding towards the dirt-place tunnel, so that the cat on guard-duty wouldn't spot him. He didn't know exactly why he was sneaking out, but he was, so why change it?

When he finally exited the camp, Featherpaw released the breath he hadn't known he had been holding. He made his way into the forest, snow underpaw. His nose twitched slightly and he was stopped in his tracks, however, as he detected a familiar scent.

It was Squirrelflight. Featherpaw crouched down, so as not to alert her of his presence, and watched from the shelter of a bush as she watched the sky, her ears pricked and her tail curled around her flank. Featherpaw wondered what she was doing out here, but honestly he didn't care. Rage and fury spread through him from ears to tail-tip. _She _was the reason he had to be a medicine-cat. _She _was the one who would be causing him to waste his life away.

He unsheathed his claws, digging them into the snow as his pale blue eyes watched her intently. He heard a voice whisper in his ears, Mapleshade: "_You know this is all her fault... All your future suffering will be at her paws. Don't you want to take your revenge? You're alone, nobody would ever know..."_

Featherpaw licked his lips, and his eyes lit up at the prospect. Even though everything inside of him was telling him that what he was about to do was wrong, his claws decided otherwise. He lowered himself onto the ground, drawing himself towards the deputy from behind. His muscles rippled beneath his tabby pelt as he came closer, his silver claws leaving shallow marks in the snow.

As the voice of Mapleshade urged him on, he heard another, quieter, voice in the back of his head.

"_Is this really what you want?" _the voice asked. "_Blood on your paws, and guilt in your heart?"_

But by then, it was too late to change his mind. He tensed, preparing for his leap and his eyes trained into Squirrelflight. Right before he pounced, he released a deep and threatening growl. The she-cat whirled around in shock, only for claws to sink into her throat and force her to the ground. Even though whoever was attacking her was smaller, there was surprising strength and pain in his attack compared to his size. The claws dug deeper into her neck, and she could feel a warm liquid seeping into her neck-fur. Blue eyes pierced the darkness, glaring at her with more hate than she could imagine. Her breath hitched in her bleeding throat as she was overtaken by shock, finally realizing the identity of her attacker.

"F-Featherpaw?" she stuttered, her voice hardly a whisper. The apprentice laughed, a sound that chilled her to the bone, even more than the snow below her.

The claws sank deeper into her flesh, and she found that dark spots were beginning to form in her vision. But she couldn't bring herself to struggle against her attacker. Not only because he was an apprentice -even though he was attacking her- but also because she just... couldn't. She could feel her strength ebbing away as a sticky liquid pooled around her, matting her fur and turning it a crimson-red.

Featherpaw's eyes were alight, his blue irises devoid of anything other than rage. His lips were drawn back in a snarl, his fur fluffed out so that he looked twice his size. For a moment, Squirrelflight thought she saw a tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat watching from the shadows of the forest with glee in her eyes, but she wasn't sure, Squirrelflight might've imagined it. She returned her gaze to the apprentice who still had his claws buried in her flesh.

He leaned forwards, his ears flattened to his head. "You may have sentenced me to something I will suffer from for the rest of my life, and you may have caused the torture I'll go through now..." He lashed his tail, his eyes gleaming and his voice rougher and deeper than it probably should've been. "But at least you won't be alive to witness it."

And then Squirrelflight's eyes closed as the darkness in her vision overtook her and her breathing slowed to a halt.

**I know, I'm so evil with the way this story is going.**

**I hope you don't hate me for, uh... killing Squirrelflight. I need to do this for the story, though; don't worry, I didn't just kill her for no reason.**

**As for Featherpaw's rage and... uh, decision... let's just say that Mapleshade isn't a very good influence on anyone. **

**And sorry, but no stick pun today. See you all later!**


	7. Death

Cinderheart stretched out her limbs, releasing a yawn. The light from dawn filtered through the den roof in slanted rays. She padded towards the den exit, avoiding the sleeping forms of the other warriors, and making sure not to step on anyone's tail. She emerged into the camp, fluffing out her fur against the chill of the winter air. She shook out her pelt, before glancing around the camp, puzzled. Squirrelflight wasn't out. Yesterday she had said she was leading the dawn patrol... So where was she? The other members of the patrol, Lionblaze, Ivypool, Bumblestripe, and Berrynose were already waiting, each looking as confused as her. No apprentices were on the patrol, as they were still worried the dog might come back.

_But where's Squirrelflight? _she mused, tilting her head. She padded towards the other patrol members, confusion glittering in her gaze. Lionblaze turned his head to face her once he saw her.

"Where's Squirrelflight?" she asked, her tail swinging. Lionblaze flicked his tail, ears twitching.

"I don't know. Is she still asleep?" he asked. Cinderheart shrugged.

"Maybe," she murmured.

"I'll go check," Ivypool meowed, before turning tail and racing towards the Highledge. She climbed the stone leading into the leader's den, vanishing into the den in a matter of moments.

"We should just leave already. Somebody might be crossing the borders while we're waiting!" Berrynose insisted. Cinderheart rolled her eyes with a puff of breath.

"We can't just leave without the deputy," she huffed in annoyance. Berrynose scoffed.

"Whatever," he muttered, turning his head away from her. Cinderheart forced down a snicker of amusement and lifted her gaze to the Highledge as Ivypool carefully made her way down the slope with cautious pawsteps. The she-cat padded towards the group, slight concern in her eyes.

"I woke up Bramblestar. She wasn't in the den," Ivypool informed them. Cinderheart's ears pricked at her words.

"Really?" she meowed. "Then where-"

"See!" Berrynose cut in, his stumpy tail lashing as much as it could. "We should leave, she's not here."

"If she's not here, then where is she, though?" Bumblestripe thought aloud. The patrol members exchanged glances. Nobody spoke up.

"Is she in the nursery? Or the medicine-cat den?" Cinderheart questioned. Bumblestripe shook his head.

"No... and now that I think about it, when we looked around the camp a bit, we couldn't pick up her scent..." he trailed off, lowering his gaze in thought.

"Well," Lionblaze muttered, clearing his throat. "I guess the dawn patrol just turned into a search party." Cinderheart nodded.

"Let's go."

•••

_The fiery ginger tom paced the clearing, stars shimmering in his fur and his green eyes glittering with with uncertainty. He lifted his gaze as he heard a soft meow a few fox-lengths away._

_"What are you worried about now?" the voice asked. The voice in question was owned by a ginger she-cat with fur paler than the tom's fire-colored pelt._

_"Sandstorm, you know what I'm worried about," the tom meowed, not stopping in his pacing. The she-cat, Sandstorm, released a sigh._

_"I know, Firestar... But what can we do about it? We didn't even know she was still alive until now... well, not alive, but you know what I mean" she meowed, her ears flattening to her head. The tom, Firestar, finally stopped in his pacing and glanced at the she-cat._

_"I really don't know what we _can _do. She already has a lot of influence over him, and it hasn't even been a moon."_

_"Maybe we can have one of the others try and convince him," Sandstorm suggested. Firestar flicked his tail to show that he had heard._

_"But who?" he asked after a moment of silence. Sandstorm paused for a second to contemplate that._

_"Bluestar?"_

_"He didn't know her, and either way I don't think that'd work."_

_"Hollyleaf?"_

_"Might bring up some memories that weren't meant to resurface yet."_

_Sandstorm hissed in exasperation. "So nobody he doesn't know, but nobody he _does _know? How does that work?"_

_Firestar shook his head in thought. "We need someone that he knows, but he doesn't... know?" He sighed. "I'm not sure... I-"_

_"Wait!" Sandstorm interrupted, her ears pricking. "I know who we need?"_

_"Who?" Firestar asked, confused._

_"I'll tell you later, but we're going to need Feathertail's help."_

•••

Cinderheart shivered, fluffing out her pelt against the cold leaf-bare wind. "I can't wait for new-leaf," she muttered to herself. She bounded forwards to catch up to the rest of the patrol, her whiskers twitching. "Squirrelflight!" Ivypool called, casting glances around the forest. There was no response. Cinderheart sighed, flicking her tail with both worry and disappointment. Where could the deputy be?

Suddenly, Lionblaze stopped in his tracks with a forepaw still held in the air. His nostrils flared as if he had picked up a scent. "What is it?" Cinderheart asked, tilting her head.

"I... Does anyone else smell something weird?"

Cinderheart opened her mouth to say no, but Bumblestripe responded before she could. "I think I do... I can't tell what it is, though."

Cinderheart raised her muzzle slightly to scent the air, and she could faintly detect a scent, though she couldn't tell what it was. At least, not for a moment. When she realized what it was, the fur along her back bristled.

"It's blood," she murmured. "Cat blood." The other ThunderClan cats pricked their ear, eyes widening as they too realized what it was. Without another word spoken, the patrol darted off into the direction of the scent. Cinderheart's paws skimmed over the snow as she ran, narrowing her eyes against the wind on her face.

The others skidded to a halt in front of her, and Cinderheart did the same. At the same moment, all the patrol members gasped in shock, their eyes wide and their fur bristling with alarm. Dried blood stained the otherwise pure-white snow, now tainted crimson. But laying at the source was the very cat they had been looking for.

Squirrelflight's fur was coated in her own blood, a long gash running across her throat. Cinderheart padded forwards hesitantly, dipping her head to touch her nose to the deputy's side.

There was no warmth underneath her pelt. And yes, it was leaf-bare, but if she was alive, there would've been at least _some _warmth...

Which meant...

"She..." Cinderheart could feel sorrow prick at her from the inside. "I-I think she's..." She couldn't finish her sentence, but she didn't need to.

The others could already tell.

•••

Alderheart stifled a hiss of irritation. "Featherpaw, I know you know what herb this is," he huffed. The gray apprentice in front of him narrowed his eyes, his ears flattening to his head.

"How do you know? I've only been your apprentice since this morning!"

Alderheart sighed, sliding the herb he had asked Featherpaw to identify to the side. "I _know _because I showed you this herb only a few seconds ago. I know you didn't want to be a medicine-cat apprentice, but can you _please_ just work with me here?"

Featherpaw opened his jaw as if to respond, but he was interrupted by a yowl of shock coming from outside of the den. "Great StarClan! Is that Squirrelflight!?"

Alderheart's ears pricked, and without a word, he and Featherpaw stood up and padded outside of the den. As soon as they did, Alderheart's eyes widened, and he had to suppress a wail of sorrow. The dawn patrol was bringing a bloodied Squirrelflight through the den entrance, and even from here, he could see that she wasn't breathing.

He drew himself tentatively towards the patrol, who was laying the deputy in the middle of the camp. The yowl of shock from earlier had woken most of the cats in the camp, who came out from the dens only to see the Squirrelflight... dead.

"W-what ha-appened?" Alderheart demanded, sadness shimmering in his amber eyes. Ivypool and Cinderheart exchanged glances, before Cinderheart turned to the medicine-cat.

"We don't really know. She didn't show up to lead the dawn patrol, so we went out to look for her and found her in a pool of her own blood."

Alderheart's gaze flickered to his mother, and he cursed himself for not being there to save her. "W-who... w-what did this?" he asked. Featherpaw, who had been besides him, bent forwards to press his muzzle into the deputy's fur for a moment, before stepping back.

"We... we don't know," Ivypool responded. "The blood covered almost every other scent, and it snowed just enough last night that every paw-print that would've been there was snowed over."

Every cat turned their heads at Bramblestar's yowl.

"What happened to her!?" he asked to nobody in particular, staring with widened eyes at his mate, before climbing down from the Highledge so that he was only a few tail-lengths away from her corpse.

"We don't know," Lionblaze murmured. "There was no sign of who, or what, had done it."

"And because she died of a claw wound, I can't tell if it was from a fox, badger, dog, or cat," Alderheart added after he looked over the wound, his voice numb with shock.

"It must've been that dog from earlier!" Featherpaw hissed, his fur bristling. Bramblestar narrowed his eyes in thought.

"The dog did get away..." the leader muttered to himself. He shook out his fur, his eyes never straying from his mate. "Tomorrow at sunhigh, we will kill the dog... But... now..."

Bramblestar didn't finish his sentence, instead laying down besides his mate and burying his muzzle into her fur. The rest of ThunderClan stood still, their fur bristling and their eyes wide with shock and sadness.

**I've never been really good at writing these types of scenes, so forgive me if the end of this chapter wasn't as... Heartfelt(?) as it should've been. And sorry this chapter is really short...**

**Anyways, y'all have been_ BEGGING_ me for a stick pun, and let me tell you; I don't need to do a stick pun..._ Leaf_ me alone!**

**Get it? Leaf? And... sticks have... leaves... Yeah, I don't know where I'm going with this. There are only so many stick puns that exist...**

**See you all later! And if you were wondering, the reason why Featherpaw pressed his muzzle to Squirrelflight's fur is because he knew the blood covered most of his scent, but if any of his scent was still on her then, everyone would think it was just because he pressed his muzzle into her fur. And then he blamed it all on the dog.**

**Assassination 101.**


End file.
